Freestone · Volcanic · Eastern Sierra, US

Upper Owens River

The Upper Owens River in winter with sunlight reflections on the water, Long Valley, Mono County.
Today · A proper day on the water
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Today
A proper day on the water
A proper day for it. Work the seams with an upstream nymph, switch to the dry when they show.
90% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Today
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp8.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather13°C
WindN 2 km/h
Pressure1027 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
8°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 18:00

12:00(now) — Black Midge

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 48%
Also:Western Blue-Winged Olive45%
Peak emergence window6 food groups active

Peak activity at 18:00 — October Caddis (October Caddis, Degree-days at peak)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Brown Trout
SD
Sex Dungeon
2-6 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Year-round on the open reaches, but reach-specific seasonal/gear rules apply near the Crowley inflow — verify against CDFW
  • SPAWNING ETHICS: big lake-run fish are often on redds; do not target spawners or wade on spawning beds.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Hot Creek
7.0 km
0
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Crowley Lake
9.0 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
McGee Creek
17 km
67
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Owens River Gorge / Pleasant Valley
19 km
81
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Upper San Joaquin River
29 km
59
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The Upper Owens River in winter with sunlight reflections on the water, Long Valley, Mono County.
    Upper Owens in winter
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
  • Recreation: Impaired
What this classification means

Recreation: Bacteria/pathogen advisory — mind wading cuts and immersion.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Owens River (Long HA)' (CAR6031009020011204130840), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Insufficient Information. Listed impairment causes: Pathogens. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · CAR6031009020011204130840

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 65 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature55 × 28%15.4
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity57 × 12%6.8
Conditions total= 65
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Warmer water — toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the temperature score.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts